Hermanus, a small town in itself, is surrounded by even smaller, quainter towns.

Hermanus is a holiday town and there is certainly no shortage of touristy restaurants along the water where visitors can enjoy a good breakfast. But if you want to go where the locals go in the morning, for a serious cup of coffee, conversation and an unbelievably good meal, Tulip Coffe Bar is the place. 

The Soweto Towers (also known as the Orlando Cooling Towers or the Orlando Power Station) are the most visually striking structures in Soweto — often portrayed in silhouette as a symbol of Soweto’s historical and cultural heritage.  

Soweto’s appeal as a tourist destination is all about its history. Nowhere is that sense of history more palpable than at the Mandela House Museum at 8115 Vilakazi Street. 

The iconic Sakhumzi opened in 2001 as the first full-service restaurant on Vilakazi Street, the most famous street in South Africa. Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world that was once home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners — President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu — and today is one of the country’s busiest tourism centres.  

Opened in 2012, the Soweto Theatre is by far the most striking piece of architecture in Soweto, if not in all of Johannesburg. Looming above the busy Jabulani township, the building consists of three huge, primary coloured cubes that look like a giant’s building blocks. Each cube — one red, one blue, and one yellow — contains a separate “black box” performance venue inside the theatre. 

Regina Mundi Church — Regina Mundi means “Queen of the World” in Latin — was built in 1964 and is the largest Roman Catholic Church in South Africa. The church has 2,000 seats and can accommodate up to 5,000 people in total.  

Regina Mundi looks rather unobtrusive from the outside, despite its considerable size. But inside, the church’s history is palpable. Rows and rows of simple wooden pews sit beneath a wide triangular roof and a large but simple crucifix hangs in the pulpit.